Distribution of bacteria within the tissue of healthy tomatoes.

Bacteria have been shown to be present in fresh normal tomatoes. The frequency of their presence differed widely between different fields. Bacterial populations within the tomatoes showed a distinct gradient, being largest in the connective tissue at the stem end and decreasing through the central core towards the peripheral and distal tissue. Application of Serratia to the sepals of young tomato fruits often resulted in their recovery from within tissue of the mature fruit. These findings lend support to the theory that the bacteria enter the fruit through the connective tissue at the stem end.